Debugging Kanto
by Jacred
Summary: Being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it? More dangerous than fun, and no one either knows or cares about what you've done. But someone's gotta fix the world, or else it'll all fall apart. It might as well be a kid like you.
1. A Dream Come True

All children in Pallet Town left home eventually.

After all, the town was famous for its trainers. It would be hard to find a child there who didn't know of the Gym Leader Blue, or of Red, the trainer who had defeated Team Rocket and ascended to the rank of Champion before his disappearance. While their fame may have faded in the rest of the region, their legacy held in their hometown. It was the dream of all would-be trainers in Pallet Town to someday follow in their footsteps.

Brian, who had grown up in the town, had the scruffy look of a kid who spent as much time outdoors as possible. His messy brown hair and wide brown eyes were a strange contrast against the pristine backdrop of the family dining room, complete with two neatly dressed parents. Brian on the other hand was dressed in a t-shirt and shorts and was squirming in his chair, but it had nothing to do with being stuck indoors. Brian was excited for one reason only: today was his birthday, and he wanted it to be perfect.

The cake was shaped liked a pokeball, just like he'd wanted. It also had twelve candles, an unfortunate reminder that he wasn't actually ten, but Brian had come to terms with that a long time ago. A neat stack of presents sat on the far end of the table, all of them from his parents. It was a smaller pile than he was used to, but that was a consequence of choosing a smaller party. He'd already had a goodbye party with his friends.

His dad came forward with a lighter and lit the circle of candles on the cake. "Make a wish Brian," he said as he sat back down.

Brian smiled and nodded. He gave the cake one last look over, closed his eyes, and wished as hard as he could.

_'I want to be as great a trainer as Red was!'_

His wish complete, Brian opened his eyes. He took a deep breath and blew, extinguishing all of the candles but one, which he glared at disdainfully before putting it out with a second breath. His parents rewarded him with some polite applause. Brian grinned in response. He wasn't going to let some candles ruin his birthday, especially this one. After all, it was going to be the day he'd finally become a pokemon trainer. He might have been a little older than the traditional age of ten, but it was better late than never, right?

"So Brian," his mom asked, "Do you want to have the cake first, or do you want to open presents?"

"Presents, please!" Brian chirped. Cake couldn't possibly compare to the presents he knew he was going to get. His dad passed him a large and lumpy present that he immediately tore into, unwrapping a burgundy backpack with a tag proclaiming that it was made with the latest in storage technology. Brian beamed and proceeded to stand up and put it on. It fit perfectly. "Wow... cool! Thanks!"

The rest of the presents followed the same theme. Soon a camping kit, a sleeping bag, some restoration items and a pokemon guidebook joined Brian's backpack in a pile. He was in the process of trying on a new pair of running shoes with the letter B emblazoned on the sides when his mother coughed politely. "Brian?"

"Yeah?" Brian paused and looked up from his shoes.

"There's one last present," his mother said, holding out a small red box, closed with a white ribbon. Brian stared. There was only one thing he could think of that could fit into a box that small. His shoelaces forgotten, Brian hastily accepted the small box and undid the ribbon. He looked at his parents, who nodded, and took off the lid. Nestled in a mass of colorful confetti was a small plastic card... and a pokeball.

Brian pulled out the card first and ran his fingers along the edges. It was his trainer's ID, with his name and face and everything. It meant that he was officially allowed to own and train pokemon, even as a minor. Which led to the second present... the pokeball. _His_ pokeball. His parents had asked him what pokemon he wanted the most, but he couldn't decide. Whatever was in here was a complete mystery.

"Well," his dad said. "Don't keep her waiting."

Her? Brian picked up the pokeball and let it expand in his hand. It was a girl? It didn't really matter much, but it was different than he expected. He stood up and backed away from the table, looking for a place that wasn't taken by presents or furniture. He finally settled on the kitchen floor, and carefully aimed the pokeball. "Uh... Go!" He pressed the button and blinked his eyes shut as red light burst from the pokeball.

"Groooooow!"

Brian opened his eyes. A striped orange canine sat before him, panting cheerfully. Brian coudn't believe it. This was a growlithe! They were supposed to be some of the most loyal partners ever. He tentatively moved towards the pokemon, holding out a hand. "Um... hi?"

The growlithe sniffed his hand, and started to lick it. Brian pulled back with a squeak. Behind him he could hear his father laughing. He frowned, and then looked back at the growlithe, which had begun to sniff Brian's pants. He hoped that mean she liked him. Brian looked up at his parents. "Is... she's really mine? Does she have a name?"

"Of course she's yours... and you can name her if you want," his mother said.

Brian nodded, and looked down at the growlithe. She looked back. "Well then... I'm gonna call you Cinnamon. Is that okay?"

"Grow," she barked in response. As far as Brian could tell, the bark was approval.

"Okay, then," Brian said, bending down to meet the pokemon's eyes. "It's nice to meet you, Cinnamon!"

Cinnamon accepted the greeting in the only way she could - she licked Brian's face. Brian sputtered a bit, then laughed and rubbed the canine's head in response. His very own pokemon partner, just like he'd wanted, and she liked him! With a friend like this, his journey was going to be great. He was sure of it.

* * *

><p>"Cinnamon, come on! We need to go home!"<p>

The sun was hanging low in Pallet Town's sky, but Cinnamon charged on, heedless of Brian's encroaching bedtime. The canine pokemon seemed fascinated by the beach and was currently very invested in a game of "keep the away from Brian". Brian on the other hand was much less enthusiastic about the game. It was getting dark, the wind was getting in his eyes, and there was sand in his brand new shoes. He'd tried to recall her with the pokeball, but he wasn't very good at aiming the beam yet. It didn't help that she seemed to interpret his attempts to catch her as part of her game.

Exhausted, Brian found a seat on a driftwood log. Cinnamon turned and barked at him a few times before darting further down the beach. Brian let her; if he was lucky, she'd realize that he wasn't playing anymore and come back. Right now, he just wanted to catch his breath. No one had ever told him that being a pokemon trainer involved so much exercise!

The sky was already darkening, and the calls of pokemon drifted by on the wind over the sound of the tide. A krabby scuttled past, occasionally pausing the pick at the sand. Brian had been on the beach plenty of times before, and none of these things were new to him, but tonight the beach seemed like a completely different place. Maybe it was because this would be the last time he'd be here in a long time...

"Man, I wish I had some pokeballs," he mumbled. The krabby froze for a moment, and began to spit up a cloak of foam before scuttling off into the sea. Brian couldn't help but laugh at the sight, but he felt a little lonely now that it was gone. He hoped that Cinnamon came back soon. His parents would kill him if he lost her on the first day.

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" someone said.

Brian jerked upwards in response, and looked around. The voice had come from a man standing behind the log he was sitting on, who looked like he must have been at least 18. He was wearing a black jacket and a black hat that brown hair was trying to escape from, but his features were strangely unmemorable. Brian gulped, and looked down at his own shoes. "Um... yes, it is," he responded.

The man stepped over the log and sat down, and Brian tensed. He'd never seen this person in town before. What if he was dangerous? He vainly searched the horizon for Cinnamon, but the growlithe was far off and unaware of Brian's plight. Maybe if he was quiet, the man would leave him alone?

Unfortunately, the man seemed interested in conversation, even if it was one-sided. "You can barely tell the difference between day and night in bigger cities, but you can actually see the stars in small towns like this." The man glanced at Brian. "But I bet you'd rather be in one of those bigger cities anyway, eh?"

Brian blushed a little. "Y-yeah, kind of," he mumbled, looking at the man through the corner of his eyes. He was strange, but so far he didn't seem too dangerous. "Have you been to a lot of big cities?" he asked carefully. The man glanced at Brian, and then looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, I've been to a lot of places," he finally said. "All over Kanto, and even a bit of Johto. I used to be a trainer, you see-"

"A trainer? Really?" Brian's eyes widened. "Wow... you're so old."

The trainer grimaced. "I'm not _that_ old, am I? ...don't answer that." The man looked at Brian, giving him what felt uncomfortably like a scrutinizing glare. "What about you? You look like you've been old enough to be a pokemon trainer for a while now."

"Uh-huh... I just turned twelve today," Brian admitted, again staring at his shoes. "I wanted to start my trainer journey when I turned ten, but then Mt. Cinnabar erupted. After that, my parents didn't want me to. They were scared."

"Well then, why not do it at eleven?" the man asked. He suddenly sounded a lot more interested in Brian.

"Well... I thought about it, but I thought that maybe it'd be better to wait until I finished with school," Brian said, remembering the day he'd made that choice. Waiting was a hard choice, but his parents had seemed happy about his decision. The man hummed thoughtfully.

"That's a pretty mature choice for a kid," the man said, standing up. Brian blinked and watched him dig through his pocket and pull out a round object. It was hard to see in the twilight, but it almost looked like a pokeball. Its paint was cracking and it seemed burnt in some places, but Brian recognized the shape of it. The man examined the pokeball himself, gave it a toss into the air, and held it out to Brian.

"Here."

Brian stared at the pokeball, and then at the man giving it to him. "Um... what is it?"

"It's a pokeball, obviously," the man said. "I've had it for a long time. Think of it as a... a good luck charm."

Brian took the pokeball, looking it over. It really was in bad shape. He pushed the button on the front, but it didn't even open. Brian frowned. "It's broken..."

"Maybe, but it's still lucky. Think of it as a gift from an veteran to a newbie. Maybe it'll bring you the same luck it brought me! You never know." The man grinned, and ruffled Brian's hair. Brian flinched a little bit. His hand was _cold_!

"Um... thank you." Brian stuffed the pokeball into his pocket. "Uh... I'm Brian. Brian Keyes. What's your name?"

"Me? I'm-" The man's introduction was interrupted by the sound of barking. Brian looked for the source of it and saw Cinnamon, trotting cheerfully towards Brian. He let out a sigh of relief, glanced apologetically at the man, and ran out to meet her.

"Cinnamon! I thought I'd lost you, girl." He scratched the growlithe between the ears. "You shouldn't run off like that. What if there was a strong pokemon out there?"

"Grooow," said Cinnamon, thoroughly enjoying Brian's attention.

"That's not an answer," Brian grumbled, before perking up. "Hey, Cinnamon, I met a real live trainer! See?" He paused in his petting and pointed out the log where he'd talked to the man. Cinnamon blinked once and gave Brian a quizzical look.

"No Cinnamon, right there! See...?" The man wasn't standing where Brian had left him. Confused, he looked around the beach, but there was no sign of the man. It was like he'd vanished.

"Where'd he go?" Brian wondered out loud. He checked his pocket and felt the curve of the old pokeball that he'd been given. At least he knew it hadn't been a dream. It was strange, though... maybe the man had an abra? That had to be the explanation. Otherwise there would have at least been footprints in the sand.

"Oh well," Brian said, giving Cinnamon another scratch. "Come on, Cin. We need to get back home! Tomorrow's a big day, after all." He started walking, and after a moment, Cinnamon followed as well. For a second Brian looked over his shoulder, checking to see if maybe the trainer was there, but there was nothing.

It was too bad. He never did get his name.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Long ago, I started writing and posting a story called "The MissingNO. Effect", though you won't find it on this account anymore. It was a story that had the fault of having been worked on over an extended period of time with no notes, and thus ended up in a corner.

This story's a rewrite of that original concept, this time with a great deal more planning and a different name. Anyone who read the old story will probably recognize the faces and scenarios, but you may find that the characters are a bit different and that events happen differently.

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy Debugging Kanto!


	2. First Steps

For all his life Brian had been warned not to go into the tall grass unaccompanied. There were wild pokemon there, and without someone to protect him he could get hurt. In theory, all the kids of Pallet Town obeyed that rule and steered clear of the route entirely. In reality, many of them had slipped past the volunteer guards at least once in their young lives to explore the wilds beyond the town. It wasn't as dangerous as the adults made it out to be. The only pokemon that inhabited the place were flocks of pidgey and families of rattata, both of which had long ago learned to be skittish around people.

They were especially skittish around people with pokemon, it seemed. Brian had hoped to train Cinnamon while climbing the hilly path towards Viridian City, but it seemed like no pokemon wanted anything to do with the new trainer and the excitable growlithe pup bounding around him. Occasionally she would stop to investigate a patch of grass and startle some lone pokemon out of hiding, and then proceed to bark at them until they ran off. It was a little frustrating, but he was working on it.

"Cinnamon, come!"

Brian crossed his fingers as the growlithe stood at alert, her ears twisting. He'd been trying all day to teach Cinnamon that basic command, using bits of kibble to reward her just like he'd read about in books. She'd taken to the lessons (or at least to the rewards), but this was his first time trying out the command. Cinnamon slowly circled until she made eye contact with Brian. The pokemon immediately broke out into a doggish grin and ran towards Brian, panting eagerly by his feet. "Good girl," Brian said cheerfully, reaching out to scratch the canine between the ears.

It seemed like he'd barely made contact with Cinnamon when she went stiff again, her eyes fixed on a point behind Brian. He slowly turned around, scanning the tall grass until his eyes settled on a rustling patch. As he watched, a rattata crept out from between the blades and sat up, rubbing its twitching nose with its paws. Brian put a hand on Cinnamon's back, hoping to hold her back from pouncing the wild pokemon. He could feel her fur rise as she went tense with... anticipation? Excitement? That was certainly how he felt. The rattata was showing no signs of retreating. Brian lifted his hand off of Cinnamon's back and bolted forward, barking excitedly as she went. The rattata hunched backwards and hissed as the growlithe approached, her tail twitching.

That was when things started going wrong.

"Okay Cinnamon, we practiced this! Now, bite it!" Unlike teaching her to come, Brian hadn't spent nearly as much time teaching her attacks. Pokemon were supposed to be smart, and Cinnamon seemed to learn fast enough once she got her mind around something. She would at least know what biting was, right?

The rattata stood its ground as Cinnamon came closer, acting more curious than aggressive. Brian wasn't sure if she'd heard him, if the way she was investigating the rattata meant anything. "Cinnamon, bite," Brian commanded again. One of the growlithe's ears flicked, and she seemed to make up her mind. Her teeth gleamed in the sunlight as she opened her mouth to attack.

This was clearly all too much for the bristling rattata, and it responded by jumping towards Cinnamon's face with an enraged hiss. It swiped her face with its claws, and Cinnamon snapped her mouth shut in shock and frantically backed away from the furious pokemon. "It's just a scratch," Brian shouted, but Cinnamon didn't seem to care. His prized partner was starting to whine, too alarmed by the sudden attack to do anything other than retreat. The rattata was in pursuit, hopping and hissing in a way that suggested that it was perfectly willing to keep fighting.

Cinnamon bumped against his leg, and she gave him a desperate, terrified look. Brian struggled between wanting to keep her fighting and not wanting to see her so frightened, and finally pulled out a pokeball. "Return!" The growlithe vanished with a red flash, which seemed to startle the rattata enough to stop it from coming any closer. It seemed to consider Brian for a moment, and with a final hiss it vanished back into the tall grass.

When Brian let Cinnamon back out further up the route, she was still shaking. He bent down and pet her until she finally calmed down enough for him to look at her nose. It didn't look much worse than a papercut, but Cinnamon acted as if it were a grievous wound, and none of Brian's soothing convinced her otherwise. She certainly wasn't going near the tall grass anytime soon, and he ended up having to recall her again just so he could get moving.

Feeling disappointed, Brian resumed his climb towards Viridian City.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting as Brian entered Viridian City, but its streets was still quite lively. For a moment, Brian stood amazed by how many buildings and people there were, but an unexpected yawn reminded him of just how tired he was.<p>

He had to ask for directions a few times, but it wasn't long before he'd found the pokemon center, with its bright red roof and pokeball motif. There were some older kids loitering about the entrance. They had a ragged look to them, and Brian wondered if they were trainers waiting for their pokemon to heal. He walked up to the doors, nodded awkwardly when one of them waved at him, and entered the pokemon center.

What struck him first were how many _pokemon_ there were. There were species he'd only read about in books or seen on TV, and many of them weren't even native to Kanto. He could see quite a few powerful species alongside equally tough looking trainers who were Brian's age or older. It was a powerful reminder that Viridian City was the gate to Indigo Plateau, and it made Brian feel like he was among celebrities.

Feeling nervous, Brian made his way to the front counter, where a dark-haired woman was tapping information into a computer. "Uh, excuse me," he stammered, and the nurse paused to look up from her computer. "I'd like to have a room for the night."

The nurse looked down at the computer, her fingers tapping swiftly across the keyboard. "We have some open bunks in the communal area," she finally said. "Will that work for you?"

Brian nodded. "Um... yes, thank you."

The nurse nodded, and after a few more seconds of typing she held out a hand. "I need to see your ID," she said, sounding impatient. Brian stared, and then scrambled for his wallet and the trainer's ID inside of it. He held it out to the nurse, and she gave it a cursory glance before glancing at Brian's face. "You just started, then?" she said, passing it back.

"Yeah."

"Picked a bad time for it, then," she said. Brian wondered how anyone's fingers could move so fast. "Viridian Forest's pretty much closed for travel right now."

"What?" Brian said, shocked. "It's closed? Really?"

"Mmhm. The pokemon have been acting unusually aggressive lately. They're only letting veteran trainers through without an escort right now, and it'll be a bit before we get another one of those." She finally stopped typing, and pulled a plastic keycard from a drawer. "Here you go. This is the keycard for room B8."

Brian took the key, but was confused. "Wait, room? You aren't giving me a bunk?"

The nurse nodded. "Lucky for you, there was a free one. You'll probably be stuck here for a few days, so I thought you'd appreciate the privacy."

"Oh. Thank you," Brian said, trying not to sound disappointed. A few _days__?_ That was going to be forever! "Um... where's B8?"

The nurse pointed towards a hallway. A sign with the letter "B" hung over it. "Right over there."

Brian nodded, muttered "thank you" again, and hurried towards the hallway with the keycard clutched tightly in his hand. His mind whirled with new information, so much that when he found the right door it took him a few times to make the keycard work. When the door finally opened he walked into a small room that was just big enough for the neatly made twin bed and wooden desk it contained. A telescreen was embedded into the wall above the desk, and the curtains were drawn over a square window. Brian set his backpack down on the desk and sat down on the bed. It was soft enough, but there was something off-putting about the way it squeaked. He looked around the tiny room, with its strange furniture and antiseptic smell, and felt further from home than ever before.

He lay back on the bed with a frustrated growl. The forest was closed? That was never supposed to happen! It was supposed to be well managed, both by the city and by the numerous trainers that traveled through the woods. Even the beedrill weren't dangerous if you stayed on the trail and away from their hives.

He slid off the bed and sighed. It was getting dark, and all of the day's walking was starting to weigh down on him. He was tired and hungry, and the news about the forest hadn't helped. He tried to think positively. Maybe there would be a guide tomorrow, or maybe the nurse had just been exaggerated about how dangerous it was. He wasn't ready to let the forest become a roadblock.

Bolstered by this thought, Brian went to pick up some dinner.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Woah, it's an update. Who'da thought that would happen? Thanks to all those people who's follows and favs and reviews planted enough emails in my inbox to keep me from forgetting this story, and big kudos to Beeky for looking this over for me and enduring my endless ranting about it! With luck, there will be more of this in far less time than it took to get this chapter out.


	3. One Final Delay

_Tall __trees __that __enclosed __him __like __a __dungeon__..._

_Buzzing __voices __in __the __whistle __of __wind __and __the __rustling __of __trees__..._

_A __sky __in __which __every __star __was __a __glowing __ruby __eye__..._

"_I __see __you__."_

* * *

><p>There was something touching Brian's face as he woke up. It was warm and wet and entirely unfamiliar, and in a dream-addled panic he flung his arms forward to deflect what his brain interpreted as another nightmare. His hands hit something soft, and there was a thump and a distressed yelp that he vaguely recognized...<p>

"Ah! Cinnamon!"

Brian slid off the side of his bed, ignoring how he was dragging his blankets down with him. He kneeled next to the stunned growlithe, keeping his eyes out for any injuries his tired flailing might have caused. "Cinnamon, are you okay?" he asked, his worry clear in his voice. Cinnamon didn't respond, but it wasn't long before her tail began to wag, thumping against Brian's leg. He sighed and started to rub the growlithe's belly. "Sorry about that, girl. I thought you were a monster." He stood up to detangle his legs from the blankets and shoved them roughly back on the bed before walking to the window and opening the curtains.

The morning sunlight hit Brian's eyes with an intensity that forced him to squint, so he turned his attention to his room while his eyes adjusted. His clothes from the previous day lay scattered across the floor and some spilled pretzels outlined his guidebook on the desk, but it was far from his usual bedroom messes. It actually made him feel a little homesick. Of course, he could always call home, but he'd already talked to his parents yesterday. The last thing Brian wanted was them thinking he was nervous about his journey already.

Speaking of his journey... Brian walked over to his desk where his guidebook lay. He'd spent last night reading it, and its pages were already heavily marked and dog-eared as evidence of his study. He flipped through the pages until he found the section on the Viridian Forest. Despite all the things he'd heard last night, he still had trouble accepting that the forest would be closed to him. Even if the pokemon in the forest were agitated, they were mostly bug types. Surely he'd be able to get through with a fire-type pokemon. He looked back at Cinnamon and watched as she nosed his discarded clothing, presumably in search of treats.

"Hey, Cinnamon," he said, and the growlithe looked up immediately. "You ready for some training?"

* * *

><p>Even at its outskirts, Viridian City was louder and busier than anything Brian was used to. It was almost a relief once he got to Route 22, where the hills, trees and calls of pokemon nearly obscured the sounds of the city. It was a rough path, but in the distance Brian could imagine the sight of the League reception gate, and beyond it, the Pokemon League itself. It was tempting to walk to the gate just to see it in real life, but he had more important goals today. Since he was planning to teach Cinnamon a fire move, he'd picked the shore of a small pond on the route, just in case there was an accident.<p>

He pulled out Cinnamon's pokeball and tossed it into the air with a cry of "Come on out!" The growlithe emerged in a flash of red light. She looked around her surroundings eagerly, though Brian noted that she didn't get too close to the lake. He gave Cinnamon a cursory scratch on the head, and set his backpack on the ground. "So, if we're going to get through Viridian Forest, you're gonna need to learn how to use fire."

Cinnamon tilted her head. "Rrow?"

Brian dug around in his backpack and pulled out a matchbook. Once, he'd seen a show where someone had used matches to train a pokemon to produce fire on command. The man at the pokemon mart had been nice enough to give him the matches for free, even though he seemed to find it funny that Brian wanted them.

It took him a few times to strike a match, but Brian was eventually able to light it. He held the flickering match in front of Cinnamon, who eyed it curiously. "See? Fire, like this. Can you make this for me?"

Cinnamon stared intently at the match, opened her mouth, and in one quick motion ate the match from Brian's hand, flame and all. As Brian stared in shock, Cinnamon snatched the matchbook in her teeth and ran off, her tail wagging in triumph. Brian stood up to chase after her, but something made him pause.

Was someone... _laughing_ at him?

"Who's there?" he said, searching the trees for whoever was laughing. If he squinted, he could almost see a dark figure standing in the trees. "It's not funny!" he added angrily.

"Oh, I don't know, Brian Keyes," said the voice, and Brian's eyes widened. "I'd say a pokemon eating its training tool is _very_ funny."

The figure walked out from the shadows of the trees. Brian recognized the black clothing and brown hair, and especially the voice. "You're the trainer from Pallet Town," he said, a little awed. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just in the area, and I thought I heard some shouting from over here," the trainer said. "So... you trying to teach your growlithe some tricks?"

"I'm _training_ her," Brian said with a frown. Even in the sunlight, it was hard to get a good look at the trainer's features. It had something to do with the way the hat shadowed his face. "Who are you, anyway? You didn't even tell me your name before teleporting off."

Instead of providing an answer, the older trainer walked over to where Cinnamon was investigating the matchbook. "It's a neat little idea, the matchbook thing. Lets you train the pokemon to associate the element with a command." He beckoned to Brian, who hesitated a bit before following after the trainer. Cinnamon looked up as Brian approached, the matchbook still in her mouth, and he held a hand out in front of her face.

"Cinnamon, drop it," he commanded. She made a show of looking hurt as she dropped the slobber-covered matchbook into his hands. Brian frowned, picking them out of his palm with his fingers so he could wipe his hand off on his pants. "So much for the training..."

"I wouldn't worry too much about the fire training," the older trainer said, an amused note in his voice. "You'd be better off working on the basics."

Brian frowned. "She can attack just fine, but she doesn't like getting hurt in battle." He tried to light another match from the matchbook, but after a few failed strikes he dropped it on the grass with the spent sticks. "She's even scared of rattata now, and they're the weakest pokemon around!"

"That would be a problem if rattata actually were the weakest pokemon around here, but luckily for you that isn't the case." The trainer gestured an arm north. "It's mostly caterpie and weedle around the Viridian forest - why not take Cinnamon up there?"

"The forest's closed," Brian said, a little confused. "Didn't you know that?"

"Yes, of course. But the edges of the forest certainly aren't. No one'll care as long as you don't go into the forest proper, right?"

Brian considered the idea. "I guess..."

The trainer nodded. "You can guess, but I know. It'll be good for you and your pokemon. Maybe you'll even figure out the fire thing while you're up there."

Brian looked down at Cinnamon, who looked back at him with a vaguely confused expression. The man's advice sounded good, and he really did want to train Cinnamon to fight effectively. After a moment of mental conflict, he finally made up his mind. "...Yeah, maybe I will go up to the forest."

"Good choice," the trainer said. He clapped his hands together, a grin on his face. "You'll probably have the best luck in the evening - bug pokemon prefer cooler weather. That's why there are so many in the forest."

"That makes sense," Brian said as he pulled Cinnamon's pokeball out of his pocket. "Return." He tapped the pokeball on the growlithe's nose and it sucked her in. He looked back at the trainer, who looked suddenly thoughtful.

"Hey, Brian. Do you still have the thing I gave you?"

Brian blinked. "Thing... oh, do you mean that old pokeball? Yeah, I've got in my backpack."

"That's good to hear. I was a little worried you might lose it. It's pretty special." The trainer sounded a little nervous.

"I didn't lose it," Brian said, a little annoyed that the older trainer would even think that he would lose a gift. "I don't see what makes it so special, though. It's just a burnt old pokeball. It doesn't even work."

The trainer chuckled a little. "Just make sure you don't lose it. You'll figure it out soon." He patted Brian's shoulder, and the boy pulled away with a frown. "Now, you might want to go rest a bit. I'm sure you'll need all the energy you can get if you're going to handle that growlithe."

"Yeah, probably." Brian slung his backpack on. As helpful as this trainer was he couldn't help but find him a little weird, and the way he kept appearing was creepy. Getting back to the center sounded like a great idea.

He hadn't even been walking for a minute when he heard the trainer shout, "Hey, Brian!"

Brian looked back. The trainer was still standing near the pond. "Yeah?"

"Call me Gamma!"

"Gamma?" Brian mumbled. It was a name so weird it had to be a nickname, but it was better than thinking of him as "that older trainer". Still, he could've picked something more interesting. "Sure," he shouted back.

The trainer grinned and waved. Brian waved back, and continued his trek back to Viridian City. He wasn't too surprised when he looked back at the pond and saw that Gamma had once again vanished.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: So, how about that Gen VI? I swear, if that deer goes Mononoke forest spirit on us...

...anyway! New chapter. Starting to catch up to where I got stuck on the old fic, and getting to the bit I most enjoyed to write. Looking forward to the next one too! I'll finally be able to justify that horror genre tag ;)


	4. Goliath

From far away, the Viridian Forest was an unimpressive looking green smudge on the horizon, dwarfed by the buildings behind him and the mountains that led up into the plateau. It hardly looked as dangerous as the center nurse had made it sound. But as Brian got closer and the trees continued to grow larger and more distinct he realized that the forest was nothing like the trees around his hometown. These trees were old and massive, and they crowded together so tightly that he couldn't see much past them. Suddenly all those warnings about the forest being dangerous made sense, and he wondered why he'd ever entertained the idea of trying to get through on his own. There could be _anything_ hiding in the shadows that those trees cast, watching him...

Brian breathed in sharply and turned his back to the forest, the image of red eyes sharp in his mind. He'd tried to forget that nightmare, and he thought he'd succeeded, but there was something about the forest that brought the memories back. Seeking a distraction, he searched his pockets for Cinnamon's pokeball and let her loose. He relaxed at the sight of the growlithe, who sniffed the air curiously before tilting her head at Brian with a look of confusion. "Groo?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... I guess I put you away kind of fast," he said apologetically. "I should've warned you." He shrugged and moved to pet Cinnamon's head, but the growlithe danced away from his hand, barking as she went. Brian blinked, worried that she was angry at him, but the sour look on her face was given away by the enthusiastic wagging of her tail. Brian sighed and pulled his hand back. "All right, no petting. Are you still up for training, Cinnamon?"

Cinnamon barked once and turned to bound into a patch of tall grass, her tail waving above it like a flag. Brian blinked and smiled. He would take that as a yes. He ran after Cinnamon, wading into the tall grass. "Wait up! We're supposed to train together!"

_This __time__, _Brian thought, _we__'__ll __do __it __right__!_

* * *

><p><em>His mind rose from the fog of torpor, his thoughts whirling like a disorganized swarm. He reached out and pulled them together, sifting through until he found a thought as bright the sun. There was a human near the forest. <em>His_ forest. No wonder it burned so._

_He reached for its source, scouring the outer edges of his domain until he found what had woken him. There was a human at the border of his forest, and it had with it a pokemon. Though he could not hear, he was certain the human was shouting commands, and he watched as the beast lunged at a fearful caterpie._

_He felt the small pokemon's pain lance through his thoughts, and in its wake it left burning indignation. None of the humans of the cities dared to pass through his forest, not anymore, but this one flaunted his authority for the sake of combat! He flung the full force of his anger at its mind to drive it away._

_Yet it did not react, did not even turn its head. His assault parted around its mind like water around a stone. It surprised him, but he did not let this setback stop him. The human's mind might resist him at the edge of his influence, but the beast's mind was an open book. It would not be hard to manipulate._

_He reached for its mind, and began to set his trap._

* * *

><p>"Alright Cinnamon! Tackle it one more time!"<p>

It was starting to get cold out, but for Brian it was more of a relief than a bother. For the past few hours he'd chased after Cinnamon, calling out commands and occasionally having to avoid attacks himself. The growlithe seemed to have a limitless amount of energy, and while she still ran from rattata she was fine with the other pokemon, and she'd taken to battle like a goldeen to water. While fire didn't seem to be on the menu for Cinnamon today, Brian felt confident that today's training had been a success.

Cinnamon darted forward, tackling the caterpie that was her target. Her strike hit true and the caterpie flew backwards, hitting the ground in a momentary faint. Brian punched the air, and went for an empty pokeball, but the caterpie was quick to get back to its feet and flee into the tall grass. Cinnamon looked back at Brian, looking ready to give chase, but Brian shook his head. "Let it go. I think we need to take a break."

Cinnamon's ears drooped, but she followed Brian as he left the tall grass and made himself a seat on a reasonably flat rock. Cinnamon lay down next to him and yawned, the energy she had been thrumming with suddenly absent. Brian smiled and rubbed her ears, then looked out towards where Viridian City lay on the horizon, lighting up the darkening sky.

"Tomorrow we'll train more," Brian said. "We'll get even better, and maybe we'll even get you to flame. Then nothing in the forest will be able to get us." He yawned and stretched, then brought his arms around him with a shiver. Now that he was sitting down, Brian could feel the chill in the air. "Come on Cinnamon, let's go back to the center... Cinnamon?"

Cinnamon stood, growling softly. Brian stood up and looked around worriedly. He couldn't see any pokemon, but there was always the chance that something was sneaking up on them. In this case though, he couldn't see anything that was threatening. He reached out towards Cinnamon. "Hey girl, what's wrong...?"

Cinnamon suddenly darted forward, barking angrily. Caught off guard, Brian watched as she ran, first towards the south, and then making an abrupt turn north - towards the forest. Brian paled, and without a second thought he chased after her. "Cinnamon! Come back! The forest's dangerous!" he cried, but the growlithe didn't seem to hear him. In fact, she put on a burst of speed as she reached the border of the forest, and with a powerful leap she vanished into the trees.

Brian stopped running before he entered the forest himself, his eyes wide with panic. He couldn't see far into the forest, but he could still hear Cinnamon's barking coming from within. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called again, but there was no sign of the growlithe returning - in fact, he could hear the barking growing quieter with distance. Brian felt conflicted - on one hand, he wasn't supposed to go into the forest. On the other hand, Cinnamon just had, and if he didn't do _something__,_ he might lose her.

It wasn't a hard decision.

"Here I come," Brian said quietly, and after a quick glance behind him he pushed past the grass and shrubbery and entered the darkness of the forest.

* * *

><p>Brian had read a lot about the Viridian Forest. Though it was a massive forest, it was not particularly dangerous to younger trainers so long as they were careful. The paths that cut through were well maintained by rangers and by the sheer erosive force of the pokemon battles that tended to occur along the main roads, and even its infamous beedrill were reclusive enough to avoid the open paths.<p>

The forest Brian was in now was a very different place. Away from the paths the forest grew thick and wild, blotting out the sky until there was barely enough light to see by. The ground too was precarious, covered by a slippery layer of moss and decaying leaves that made it even harder to see the roots and stones that seemed intent on tripping him. Even worse was the feeling that he was being watched. More than once Brian was sure he'd seen the flash of red eyes in the canopy.

"Cinnamon!" he shouted out for what felt like the millionth time, and once again it seemed to be absorbed by the trees. He had thought that the growlithe would at least leave a trail, like footprints or tufts of caught fur, but it seemed like it only worked that way on TV. Brian was rapidly coming to the realization that he was lost, and it was only the hope that Cinnamon would be just ahead that kept him from turning back. It was tempting, though, to at least stop and rest. It was getting darker by the second, to the point that Brian pulled out his flashlight, hoping that it would make it easier to find any trace of his pokemon's passing.

Brian was starting to lose hope when he heard a faint and familiar noise. He froze for a moment, straining to hear it more clearly. It sounded like barking, and he started to move in its direction. The louder and more clear the sound got, the faster he moved, until he was all but running in its direction, barely keeping his footing on the forest floor. He could see light ahead of him shining dimly between the tree trunks, and he shouted out. "Cinnamon, I'm coming!"

He broke free from the forest, stumbling to a halt in the midst of a clearing. The ground around him was beaten dirt rather than slippery undergrowth, and in front him a single, massive tree dominated the clearing. The sky had turned a deep blue, and if he looked up he would've seen that the first stars were starting to show. Brian didn't look at the sky, though. His attention was focused on the tree, and at the pokemon barking below it.

"Cinnamon!"

The growlithe turned her head towards Brian, blinking several times before breaking into a run herself. Brian knelt down to catch Cinnamon as she ran into his arms, enthusiastically licking every bare patch of skin she could get to. "I finally found you," Brian said, hugging her tightly before gently pushing her away. He was glad that Cinnamon was safe, but he couldn't help but frown a little at his pokemon. "Why did you run off like that? I was really worried," he said as sternly as he could. Cinnamon drooped a little, looking guilty.

_'She __came __because __I __called __her__.'_

It wasn't a voice that Brian heard. It was more like a thought in his head, but one that clashed with his own internal monologue. Cinnamon seemed to hear it too, and she started to growl, looking directly at the lone tree in the middle of the clearing. Its branches waved and rustled in the wind, and Brian felt drawn to it. He walked closer until he could see the individual leaves, turned his flashlight upwards, and looked directly into a pair of glowing red eyes.

He barely had time to scream as something dropped from the tree, scattering leaves and branches and knocking Brian backwards. He fell on his back and lay there, momentarily stunned, as the sound of humming and Cinnamon's barking began to fill his ears. Finally he forced himself to a sitting position, and saw just what had knocked him over.

It was a butterfree, but it was nearly as large as he was if not bigger. It was covered with scars and old wounds, and its tattered wings hung uselessly at its sides. It managed to float anyway, surrounded by a pale purple glow that Brian recognized as psychic energy. It lifted its head, fixing its blank red eyes on him.

_Stupid __boy__. __They __told __you __not __to __enter __the __forest__, _came the thought-voice again, and Brian knew it was the voice of the monstrous butterfree before him. He scrambled to his feet and backed away, mind reeling at the simple fact that such a massive butterfree could exist. "W-what are you?"

The butterfree floated higher and spread its tattered wings, revealing a twisted web of patterns that resembled a pair of staring eyes. '_I __am __Goliath__, __and __I __am __the __lord __of __this __forest__,' _the butterfree declared. It looked down on Brian, eyes whirling red and purple. '_You__, __Brian__, __have __encroached __upon __my __domain__.'_

"How..."

_'How __do __I __know __your __name__?'_ Goliath made a strange rattling noise, and looked towards Cinnamon. His eyes flashed, and the growlithe yelped as she was lifted into the air by psychic energy. '_I __learned __many __things __from __your__... __pet__. __She __may __be __loyal__, __but __her mind is weak__. __It __was __easy __to __ply __your __name __from __her __thoughts__. __There __was __not __much __else __in __there__.'_ He tossed Cinnamon roughly aside, and turned his gaze to Brian. '_You__, __though__...'_

Brian didn't have a chance to react as Goliath caught him in his psychic grasp, lifting him into the air and towards his face. He struggled in midair, trying to look anywhere but the butterfree's unblinking red eyes. They seemed to glow with an unnatural energy entirely separate from the psychic glow. "Let me go!" he said, struggling uselessly in midair.

Goliath seemed to growl, his thought-voice hot with anger. '_You__, __Brian__, __are __a __scared __little __boy__. __Yet __you __still __resist__,' _he said, tightening his psychic power until Brian could hardly breath or do anything other than stare into the butterfree's eyes. '_I __do __not __know __what __gives __your __thoughts __such __strength__, __but __it __can not __protect __you __forever__...'_

While Brian struggled against Goliath's grasp, Cinnamon rose to her feet, shaking her head to clear her mind. She looked up, first at the massive butterfree, and then at Brian. Her trainer was in danger, and to protect him she did what came naturally: she lunged forward and bit down on one of Goliath's dangling feet.

"FRIIII!" Goliath screamed and dropped Brian on the ground. He turned his attention to the growlithe latched onto his foot, barely holding himself in the air as he tried to pry her off. '_You __stupid __beast__! __You __will __let __go__!'_ With one last push he finally ripped Cinnamon loose, and threw her to the ground next to Brian. He glowed angry red as he lifted himself into the air, spreading his wings wide. '_I __will __not __accept __such __insubordination__. __I __will __destroy __you __both__!'_

Brian stared upwards, his mind blank with fear as Goliath prepared his attack. Cinnamon, however, had other plans. She got to her feet and looked directly up at the butterfree, and with a confidant howl she let loose a stream of embers that struck him right in the chest.

Goliath cried out in pain, his collected energy flickering out. He dropped from the sky, his wings flapping uselessly, and hit the ground with a painful sounding crack. For a moment it looked like he had fainted, but as Brian approached Goliath's eyes flared to life. He jerked upwards into the air - '_I __will_-' dropped back down '- _not __fall__ -' _and dragged himself towards him. '..._to __you__!'_

Brian didn't know why his first reaction was to reach for an empty pokeball, but once he had it in his hand he knew exactly what to do. With a wordless shout he lobbed it forwards, and watched as it sailed through the air. It struck Goliath on the head, absorbed him in a flash of red light, and dropped to the forest floor. As soon as it hit the ground it wobbled once, twice, three times... and with a final ding it lay still.

Brian approached the pokeball and stared down at it. He bent over and gingerly picked it up, expecting it to burst open at any second, but it didn't even twitch in his hand. He quietly put it in his backpack, and walked over to Cinnamon. She didn't have any external injuries, but she wasn't as energetic as she normally was. Brian wasn't feeling too energetic either, but he at least gave her a solid pat on the head. "...thank you, Cinnamon. Good girl."

Cinnamon thumped her tail a few times.

Brian's head still felt foggy as he looked around the forest. It was quite dark now, and the moon rose bright and round above the clearing, illuminating it with a pale light. There was no way he would make it back to Viridian City by morning... and even if he did, he'd be right back where he started, unable to move ahead because the forest was too dangerous. He laughed weakly at the thought. There couldn't be anything in the forest more dangerous than that. "I'm so tired... Cinnamon, do you think we could camp out here?" He looked down at her, and the growlithe yawned in response. Brian could see little flecks of fire in the back of her throat.

"I guess so." He walked over to the tree and dropped his backpack beside it. It didn't take long for him to lay out his sleeping bag, and soon as he had zipped in Cinnamon curled up beside him, her body as warm as any fire. Brian looked up at the branches, watching as caterpie went about their business in the branches, then rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Wow, this chapter took a while to get out. And what's with the shoving all the italics together, FFNet? It's obnoxious.<p>

So originally Goliath was supposed to be a beedrill. Why change him to a butterfree? Well first of all, everyone does evil beedrill. Second, beedrill aren't particularly known for their psychic abilities, but butterfree at least have a few psychic moves. Third, I really liked the idea of trying to make a butterfree scary, or at least unnerving.

Thanks for reading!


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